This invention relates to hoses for swimming pool cleaners and the like, and specifically to a hose having simple fittings to cause the hose to float, to assist the hose in moving across the pool bottom, or to attach the hose to other pool equipment.
Numerous types of cleaning devices have been developed for swimming pools. Typical swimming pool cleaners are connected to the filtration system of the pool by a long, flexible hose. Some pool cleaners include a surface unit connected by flexible hoses to both the filter outlet and to an underwater cleaning head. One such mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,366.
The hoses used in pool cleaners may be composed of various materials. Plastic is popular because of relatively low cost, flexibility and durability. An advantageous base construction is a thin-walled plastic tube formed as a series of alternating ribs and grooves giving the hose wall strength while preserving the ability to flex and bend.
As can be seen in the above-identified patent, various fittings are attached to the hose used in a swimming pool cleaner. Among these are end couplings that typically have been threaded, adhesively secured or sealed to the hose, and accessories mounted on the hose, such as floats and wheeled attachments for rolling along the walls of the pool.